Self-lubricating wheel.



P. G. KOEHLER.

SELF LUBRIGATING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED ooT.9, 1911.

'L'WLB'Y PaiIented 0G13. '7, 1913.

Magst, /f mvantop: Y, Y. G, Cahier 73' 4c ku@ FRANK Gr. KOEHLER, OF ST.LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SELF-LUBRICATING WHEEL.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @et "Z, i913.

Application filed October 9, 1911. Serial No. 653,593.

To all 'to/tom @'15 may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK G. Kom-Iman, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelf-Lubricating llVheels, of which the following is a full, clear, andeXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

My. invention relates to that class of self lubricating wheels providedwith lubricant reservoirs from which lubricant is delivered to thejournals on which the wheels turn, the present improvement being onemore particularly intended for embodiment into mining car wheels, but ofutility in other types of wheels and pulleys.

The invention has for its object to pro-` vide an improved constructionof lubricant reservoir of very simple type and of a high degree ofefficiency.

lt also has for its object to provide in a self lubricating wheel asimple and etlicient means for retaining the .wheel upon the journal towhich it is applied, and for retaining the lubricant in the wheel.

ln the accompanying drawings z-Figure l is a view partly in sideelevation and partly broken away and in section of my improved selflubricating wheel. Fig. H is a cross section through the wheel; and Fig.HI is in part an elevation and in part a section of the retaining ring.

ln the drawings, A designates the rim and B the hub of my wheel cast inone piece.

When my wheel is utilized in a mining or other car it is applied to thejournal D of an axle C, the latter being supplied with an abutmentcollar E located at the rear end of the journal.

The hub of my wheel contains the lubricant reservoir and comprises acentral annulus l concentric with the bearing 2 that receives thejournal to be lubricated. It also comprises parallel radial webs 3 and 3that join the annulus and bearing, a front cap member 5 spaced from theouter web 3, and a rear cap member 6 spaced from the inner web 3.

In the hub B between the webs 3 and 3 is a circumferential mainlubricant compartment 7 that has communication with an outer auxiliarylubricant compartment 8 between the outer web 3 and the front cap member5 through perforations 4: in said outer web and also has communicationthrough perforations 4 in the inner web 3 with an inner auxiliarylubricant compartment 9 between the web 3 and the rear cap member 6.

ln the bearing 2 of the hub B is an outwardly flaring lubricant deliveryduct l0 extending across, and that leads from, the compartment 7 to thejournal in said bearing and through .which lubricant is delivered to thejournal during the rotation of the wheel. The compartment 7 contains aninwardly projecting fin or lubricant carrying member 1l that extendsacross the same toward the axis of the wheel from the annulus l betweenthe webs 3 and 3', and is located opposite the lubricant duct 10 or insuch close proximity to said duct between the walls thereof as toprovide for its service in elevating the lubricant in the coinpartment 7during the rotation of the wheel and the delivery of such lubricantthrough the duct to the journal in the bearing of the wheel hub..

It will be apparent that by the use of the lubricant carrying member l1and lubricant duct l0 l provide for a positive delivery of lubricant tothe journal upon cach complete rotation of the wheel, and that thisdelivery is maintained as long as there is any lubricant in thereservoir of the wheel or until the supply of lubricant is entirelydepleted.

The main portion of the journal on which my wheel operates is suppliedwith lubricant due to the delivery from the central compartment 7through the duct 10, but it is desirable to also supply lubricant to thejournal at the ends of the bearing 2. It is for this reason that lprovide the lubricant compartments 3 and 9 adjoining the centrallubricant compartment. A portion of the bearing 2 projects into thelubricant compartment 8 and is provided with an inclined annular face 2upon which lubricant may be elevated during the rotation of the wheel tomove in a downward course and e deposited onto the portion of thespindle that normally or at certain times projects into the lubricantcompartment 8. To add to the etliciency of the deposit of lubricant ontothe journal from the compartment 8, I preferably utilize in saidcompartment an inwardly projecting lubricant elevating fn or carrier l2,the service of which is similar to that of the carrier l1.

Lubricant is delivered from the lubricant compartment 9 to the journalthrough the medium of a rear extension of the hub bearing 2 providedwith an inclined annular face 2fL o-n which the lubricant is elevatedand from which it descends to the journal.

The rear cap member 6 of the hub B is provided with an opening ofsutlicient diameter to permit of the introduction of the journal intothe wheel, or, referring more particularly to the structure shown in thedrawings, the introduction of the axle spindle and the collar E intosaid hub. The opening in this rear cap member is closed,.j aside fromits partial closure by the axle shaft, by a retaining ring F, having twofunctions, namely, those of retaining the wheel upon the axle, andretaining the lubricant in the wheel. The retaining ring coniprises twoalined segments 13 held interlock-ed by means of dowels 123@L andprovided with external screw threads that fit internal screw threads inthe rear cap member 6, whereby the ring is connected to the hub B. Theretaining ring is held from rotation and consequently maintainedpositively in t-he opening in the rear cap member 6 of the hub by a stopscrew or pin 14 which passes through said rear cap member and entersinto a radial hole provided tlierefor in one of the ring segments.

The retaining ring F constitutes the sole means by which my selflubricating wheel is held from escape from the axle to which it isIitted. In this service the retaining` ring acts as an abutment for thecollar E on the axle, and inasmuch as t-he ring is positively held inplace, there is no opportunity for more than a limited degree of play ofthe wheel upon the axle, it being understood that a limited degree ofplay is desirable between a car wheel and its axle, in view ofvariations in the spacing of track rails, on which the wheels travel.

The retaining ring F is designed with the object in view of providingfor the confinement thereby of the lubricant used in my wheel, and thisservice is obtained largely through the close iitting of the ring aroundthe axle C. Experience has demonstrated, however, that more or lesslubricant will ooze between the retaining ring nov-1,78%

and an axle if entire reliance is placed upon close fitting of the ringto the axle alone. To overcome oozing of the lubricant between the axleand the ring, I

provide the ring with an internal annular chamber l5, and arranged uponthe axle C an annular packing collar i6 that is movable to and fro insaid annular chamber during the movement-got the wheel longitudinally oithe axle. The packing collar just mentioned provides an abutment in thepath of movement of lubricant along the axle when it tends to oozethrough the retaining ring and, therefore, stops the flow of lubricantbefore it escapes from the wheel along the axle. The semicirculargrooves forming the annular chamber l5 and the external screw threads onthe see- 'tional retaining ring F are positively held in matchingrelation by the dowel ping 13a.

I claim: A

A sell:` lubricating wheel cast in one piece and comprising a hubforming an oil reservoir, said oil reservoir having a cylindrical walland inner and outer end walls, a journal bearing within said oilreservoir, annular webs connecting said journal bearing to saidcylindrical wall and dividing said oil reservoir into threecompartments, a lubricant elevating iin 12 extending entirely across theouter compartmentand joining the outer wall of said reservoir to one ofsaid annular webs, a lubricant elevating iin ll extending entirelyacross the middle coml partment, said journal bearing having a radialoutwardly aring delivery duct l() extending entirely across said middlecompartment and located directly opposite to the fin l1, the said innerwall being provided with a screw threaded journal receiving opening, anda ring F in said opening "fo'iming a guard element adapted to preventthe escape of lubricant and also serving to hold the wheel in position,said ring being compos-ed of externally screw threaded segments each ofwhich is provided with a .semicircular groove for the reception of apacking collar 16, and means for interlocking said segments with eachother so as to position their screw threads in matching relation.

FRANK G. KOEHLER.

in the presence of- E. B. LINN, A. J. MoCAULnY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

